ADELAIDE coach Don Pyke is hopeful the club will re-sign star Josh Jenkins in the "near term", claiming ongoing conversations with the forward suggest a deal shouldn’t be too difficult to seal. 

Jenkins’ value has skyrocketed this year on the back of an exceptional season in which he’s booted 37 goals from 12 games.

The 27-year-old has shown improvement in each of his five seasons at West Lakes but 2016 has seen him firmly establish himself as one of the League’s premier power forwards. 

Crows football director and Fox Footy commentator Mark Ricciuto rejected claims on Tuesday that he asked co-commentators to talk down Jenkins’ worth during a broadcast at the weekend.

Ricciuto’s rejection ended the story in Pyke’s eyes and the coach was confident uncertainty over Jenkins’ future could also be quickly resolved. 

"We’re trying to avoid it becoming a distraction … Josh is really clear that he’s a required and wanted player at the footy club,” Pyke said.

"He’s really made some great strides and he’s indicated that he’s really keen to stay. 

"So those two things add up to - a player who’s wanted and a player who wants to stay - well hopefully we can get something concluded in the near term."

The Crows take on North Melbourne on Thursday night, looking to atone for their 10-point round one loss to the Kangaroos at Etihad Stadium.

North Melbourne tall forwards Jarrad Waite, Drew Petrie and Ben Brown booted seven goals between them in the season opener, against a defence that Pyke said was smaller than it would be on Thursday.

Tall defender Kyle Hartigan - absent in round one - will help restrict the Kangaroos' big bodies at Adelaide Oval, but Pyke said the real key would be to restrict the side’s midfield.

"We went in slightly smaller [in round one] from that game, I think Nathan van Berlo played and Kyle Hartigan didn’t," he said. 

"Kyle’s been in fantastic form so we’ll have a slightly different mix this week.

"They’ve got the three tall targets down there but it all comes down to supply - if we can stop the supply it makes it easier on the backs."